To Austenland!
by flowersinyourattic
Summary: Catherine Hayes had always despised everything Austenland had to offer: the unbreathable corsets, the dull conversations, the grotesquely fake romances and so many more. Unfortunately dragged by her sister into this torture chamber along with her cousin and her cousin's fiancé, would she even last one day? Or would a certain English gentleman give her so many other reasons to stay?
1. Hot In Here

**Hello fellow Austenland fans, wherever you may be! **

**Alright, the other day I saw FanFiction had an Austenland tag (_yay_), but it only had one story (_nay_), so I thought, why not write one myself? I'm kind of warning you though already, this won't really be about Jane and Henry. They're just going to be supporting characters, but I'll try my best to put them in every chapter. This will actually be about Jane's cousin, which is my own character, because I thought it would be great to write about a story set in Austenland, but it didn't feel right writing about Jane and Henry again since, well, they fell in love already.**

**To the Austenland fans who are about to read this, I'm sorry if I did not meet your expectations, I'm merely just trying to practice some writing and I thought this would be a great way to do it. And I barely use the third person so please bare with me, my writing will be a little rusty. Anyway, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Austeland or any of its characters. I'm just simply borrowing them. **

* * *

Catherine groaned loudly.

"Emma, the door!" she bellowed as she kept her eyes trained on the book she was reading. Cath knew she could've gotten the door; she was already in the room opposite the front door, but she hated getting up from a comfortable position. She was sprawled out on the couch, one hand tucked under her head while the other held _Emma_ at a discernable distance. And Cath didn't know they were having visitors today. Her sister certainly never said anything about having people over, and none of her own friends called to tell they were coming.

"You get it, you lazy ass! You're literally 10 feet away from the door!" her sister called from her room in the same exasperated tone Cath used.

Cath knew that Emma was right. She could get the door. Really, she could, if only her body would let her. She had spent the whole morning doing both her and Emma's chores, since Emma decided to be uncooperative and sleep in until noon. When Emma had walked out, all bedhead and bad breath, Cath had already finished the last of the chores, and was now collapsing on the couch with the phone in her hand, ready to order some Chinese food. Emma hadn't even noticed all her chores were done, and Cath debated on whether to throw the phone at her head or stop cleaning until Emma realized she needed to do her part in keeping the apartment suitable for living.

"Hey, I did your chores this morning!" Cath countered back. "It's the least you could do for me!"

"C'mon, Cath! I'm cleaning out my closet!"

Emma's argument had Cath dangling her book arm on the edge of the couch and her free propping her up so she could properly glare at Emma's bedroom door. Usually, Cath and Emma got along. Well, they had to if they were going to keep living together under the same roof. However, they couldn't help but let the claws out when dividing responsibilities was the topic of conflict. Between the two, Cath took her responsibilities seriously, and never really complained about them most of the time. Emma, on the other hand, took every possible opportunity to neglect her priorities when it came knocking at her door.

In this case, said opportunity literally did come knocking at their door, and rather obnoxiously for Cath's liking.

Cath wasn't particularly interested in finding out who was behind their door; she just really wanted to finish Emma's favorite Jane Austen novel (_I know, so self-centered, right?_ Cath thought) so she could crap all over it. Seriously though, for a well-written book, Emma Woodhouse was the most annoying character Cath had ever read about. The only time she ever enjoyed the book was when Emma would get humiliated for being a self-righteous brat.

"Fine," Emma's poised figure emerged from her bedroom and walked to the door. Cath sighed with relief and brought the book back up to her face again. Finally, some peace and quiet—

"_Heeey!"_

Cath's head shot up at the sound of three different voices. She recognized her sister's (always the loudest, most intolerable one), but the other two, she had a hard time believing. Yet there they were, walking into their apartment, into their living room. Cath's eyes instantly lit up, and she pushed herself off the couch, ignoring how intense her body was aching.

"You're back!" Cath cried happily as she ran towards her cousin and her fiancé. Well, her cousin's fiancé.

"Hey," Henry smiled, grunting as Cath jumped into his arms for a hug. "Christ, I don't think you girls realize how heavy you are."

"Are you calling me fat?" Cath asked with feigned incredulity. Well, she wasn't fat, but she did get fatter. It's not like gained the freshman fifteen. Just the six. The six she unconsciously gained by the end of the school year due to stress eating.

"Yes, I am," Henry laughed. "Now get off before my knees give in."

"Rude," Cath deadpanned as she hopped off and moved to her cousin for a hug. "So how was the flight?"

"Horrendous," Henry blurted, causing all three of the ladies to laugh.

"What are you talking about? It was fine," Jane assured him, yet they both knew how bad his hyperventilating got

"Did you throw up again?" Emma teased. Henry clearly blushed at her question, probably thinking of the last time he had vomited on a plane. There seemed to be a lot them, because his cheeks got redder as Emma's smirk got wider. Judging by the way his body stiffened, Mr. Nobely had found his way into the room and couldn't help himself from rattling off something Regency-like.

"Gentlemen do not vomit," Henry remarked, his chin up and his hands behind his back. It always amused Cath and Emma when Henry would leave to make room for Mr. Nobely. It was like getting a glimpse of Jane's time in Austenland, something the girls (well, Emma) always liked to ask about.

"Yet he did," Jane revealed anyway, rubbing his back comfortingly. The stone cold look on Mr. Nobely's faced had vanished and Henry came back, his head dropping as he tried to hide the embarrassment from his two future cousins-in-law.

"Don't worry. If you ever want to feel good about puking on a flight, remember Emma used to wet her bed when she was sixteen," Cath said, earning her a smack on the back of the head.

"That only happened because you did that stupid hand-in-warm-water trick," Emma shot back defensively.

"I only did that because you lost my favorite sweater that week—"

"Alright, alright. Break it up," Jane chuckled, getting in between the two sisters and putting her arms around them both. She led them to the couch, Henry following right behind them with a toothless smile on his face.

"Oh, Cath. You're reading _Emma_?" Jane asked enthusiastically. Before Cath could even say a word, Emma had beaten her to it and answered the question for her in the same enthusiasm Jane had.

Cath groaned as her sister and cousin suddenly launched into their little Austen world and started babbling about how perfect _Emma_ was. They had already made themselves comfortable on the couch and tuned out anything and anybody that could possibly ruin their brief moment of Austen joy.

Unwilling to even get near the two, Cath plopped herself down on the small armchair opposite them and listened to them basically fangirl, in obvious distaste.

"I was really looking forward to making a joke about you being a psychic but I see no one else would be able to hear it anyway," Henry said in amusement as he sat down on the armchair beside Cath.

"That's okay, younger brother of Tom Hiddleston. We could live without the joke," Cath said in all seriousness, but the flat expression on Henry's face made her erupt with laughter. Just seconds after, Henry joined her, mostly because her laughter always sounded like a druggie that smoked three packs a day.

"So, how are you liking _Emma_?"

"Oh, I _hate_ it."

Almost immediately, Jane and Emma stopped talking and turned to the culprit who said the vilest sentence this Earth has heard. Did Cath just say she _hated_ _Emma_?

"Excuse me, did you just say you _hate_ _Emma_?" Emma asked, looking clearly offended. Cath didn't know whether it's because _Emma_ was Emma's favorite book (still so narcissistic) or because Jane Austen wrote it. Well, either way Emma's cold gaze wouldn't leave Cath, clearly wanting a reasonable explanation.

"I don't know, it's kind of shallow," Cath shrug. She knew she had to pick her words wisely here. Jane's and Emma's looks of disbelief quickly turned hard, and they obviously tried to hide the rage that fueled their defensiveness.

"But—" Jane began, but was immediately interrupted by Henry, who knew this debate would not end well. Even he was shocked Cath didn't like _Emma_. He expected it to be the novel that converted her negative Austen views and see how magnificent Jane Austen was a as a writer.

"_Emma_ is one of the most flawless works of Jane Austen, if not the most. Why do you hate it?" Henry asked coolly, turning his body to face Cath. He had his legs crossed and his hands gripping his knees, which made Cath want to laugh. He looked like a true English gentleman, with the gray, suede blazer and all.

"Well, Mr. Darcy," Cath began with a fake British accent as she adjusted in her seat and sat up like a true English lady. Whenever Cath turned on her fake accent, Henry knew Cath thought he looked 'too English'. That thought had always been strange to him because how could somebody born and raised in England be too English? Still, he uncrossed his legs and slouched, just to amuse her. "I don't really quite fancy _Emma_. She's too nosy and self-righteous and shallow. Just like my dear sister over here."

Emma let out the most intolerable fake gasp she could muster and mockingly placed a hand on her chest, which finally lightened the mood and sent everyone laughing. Even Emma knew when Henry was being 'too English', and just like her sister, she couldn't help herself from acting like an English lady as well. "How dare you, Catherine! I am the loveliest person on this side of New York City, New York. Isn't that right, Mr. Nobely?"

"Must you always act British around him?" Jane sighed as she sent Henry an apologetic look. She found it hilarious whenever her cousins would make fun of him—his face was always priceless—but it was still embarrassing to hear their terrible accents. "And stop saying he's too British. Someone from England cannot be too British."

"No, it's alright, Jane," Henry assured her with a slow shake of his head. "I find their theatrics very entertaining."

"Aww, thank you, Tom Hiddleston look-alike," Emma said, putting her hand over her chest and bowing in gratitude. "Now, tell me all about San Francisco and how many women you've disappointed by holding Henry's hand."

"And that is my cue to make some tea," Cath announced, getting up and heading for the kitchen.

"Oh, I'll help you," Henry offered. He stood and followed behind Cath, but she turned and placed a hand on his chest to stop him.

"Oh no, you're not. You are the guest and—"

"I don't know if you realize this," Henry whispered, lowering his head so only they could hear, "but it genuinely frightens me when your sister talks about love."

Cath laughed. It was true, Emma could get out of hand when she talked about love. Or, well, what she thinks love is. Unlike Jane, Emma didn't fall in love with the idea of Mr. Darcy (but she did fall in love with Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy). Thanks to Jane Austen's novels though, Emma had turned into a hopeless romantic, always trying to find love where there is none. In cases where she could find love in other people, she will just talk and talk and talk until your ears would fall off. She will ask every detail about their relationship, always commenting about how wonderful love is and blah, blah, blah. With the way she talked, she could suck out all the romance in you, which is why Henry always avoided this topic with her.

"Fine, follow me."

Cath led him into the kitchen, ordering him to sit down and stay put. Henry insisted to help her, especially with pulling out the tray from a top shelf, but Cath always shooed him. Tea making was one of the things Cath always wanted to do by herself. Something about it just always soothed her nerves, and no matter how relaxed she appeared to be, the idea of tea and making it always had a different effect on her body.

"So, what's with all the papers?" Henry asked, picking one up off a stack. "Cleaning out your room?"

"No, my dad wants me to send some of my papers to him," Cath said sheepishly. She had forgotten she even had them there. She was supposed to pick out the best ones she'd written and had completely given up on the task because she couldn't imagine her dad being proud of any of them. "He wants to see how well I've been doing with my writing, but they're all…_rubbish_."

"What?" Henry asked incredulously. "That paper you did about the French Revolution was absolutely the most brilliant one you've done in my class."

"I don't know, I mean he's just happy that one of his daughters is following in his footsteps, but sometimes it just feels like he's ashamed that I don't write like him."

"But you write nothing like your father."

"Obviously. I won't ever measure up to him."

"Catherine."

Cath sighed. She hated it when people used her whole name. It felt too formal for her, and it just reminded her that every woman in her family was named after an Austen character. She would always grimace whenever somebody used it, but Henry had always been an exception to this. Only because her whole name sounded way better when said in an English accent.

Cath turned around and slumped against the counter, urging Henry to finish his pep talk.

"I didn't say you would never measure up to your father. I'm just saying both of you have very different writing styles. You're more comedic while he's more serious."

"Exactly," Cath groaned as she slumped even lower against the counter. "I don't understand why he can't see that!"

"You can't please everyone, Catherine, but that shouldn't stop you from thinking you're an excellent writer. And if I was your father, I'd be proud of you no matter how you write."

Cath smiled broadly. "Thanks. I'll probably send him every single one of my papers now just to piss him off."

"Now, see, when you say things like that, it makes me dread having my own daughter."

Cath laughed the same time the kettle whistled. She went back to preparing their tea while Henry perused for the said French Revolution paper. They both went on with their own business silently until Cath lifted the tray off the counter and motioned for both of them to move to the living room. Of course, the gentleman that he was, Henry took the tray from Cath and carried it for her, which she had no problem with whatsoever. In fact, Cath loved it when Henry did something gentlemanly for them. There were rarely any gentlemen in New York, so whenever Henry was around, Cath and Emma weren't ashamed to take advantage of him, much to Jane's embarrassment.

"Finally!" Jane exclaimed as Henry set the tray on the coffee table. "I haven't had tea in a week."

"Eck, how do you people even stand the taste of tea?" Emma said in disgust. "Aw, Cath. You didn't even get my Coke."

"Sorry. I forgot," Cath shrugged. "Why don't you go get it so Ms. Erstwhile and Mr. Nobley could sit together?"

Jane and Henry both gave her a pointed look, but Cath just responded with an innocent raise of her brows. Emma still obliged anyway and left for the kitchen to get herself something to drink.

"Okay, I know Emma just left but I'm excited to tell them already," Jane gushed, turning to Henry. He was pouring tea in all the cups, and only stopped briefly to look at his fiancé.

"Tell them what?" he asked over his shoulder. He then put the teapot down, handing one cup to Jane and taking one cup for himself. While Jane added milk and sugar to hers, Cath couldn't help but grimace at Henry drinking _un_sweetened tea. The first time she saw him drink unsweetened tea, she involuntarily uttered the word 'ew', causing Henry to choke on his tea and the others around them to laugh hysterically. Until now, he would purposefully look at her smugly whenever they drank tea in the same room together just to spite her.

"I'm back! I'm back!" Emma cried out as she darted out of the kitchen and plopped down on the armchair. "Tell us what?"

"You know, about the thing," Jane said pointedly as she sipped her tea.

"Oh! Right, right," he said excitedly as he sat up and leaned forward. "I can't believe I forgot about it."

"Forgot about what?" Cath asked a little impatiently as she got herself her own cup. She made sure to show off her sugar cubes at Henry, who rolled his eyes at her from behind his cup, before sitting back and stirring the milk and sugar in.

"Oh, my God!" Emma suddenly exclaimed as she bounced on her seat. Cath tensed at her sister's sudden outburst. She knew Emma was about to say something inane—Emma always said something inane at some point in the conversation—so she took a long sip from her cup to hide her distress.

"Are you guys pregnant?!"

Simultaneously, all tea-drinkers choked on their respective cups of tea. For the next minute or so, they all coughed up a symphony while Emma repeatedly apologized and got them all water.

"Miss Charming will definitely enjoy your company," Henry coughed while Emma handed him a bottle. She smiled sheepishly at him and returned to her armchair feeling mortified.

"Sorry about that," Emma said again for the nth time. She hugged her legs closer to herself while the noise in the room transitioned from coughing to loud gulping. Jane and Cath had managed to down half of their water bottles, while Henry finished the whole thing, even belching right after.

"It's okay," Jane assured Emma as she put down her water bottle and composed herself. "And no I'm not pregnant."

"Then what is it then?" Cath asked. She and Emma eyed the heavily panting Henry now sprawled out on his side of the couch with his eyes closed.

"Just tell them, honey," Henry gasped as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Alright, well, the other day on the phone, I got the chance to catch up with Lizzy, and I just happened to mention that one of my cousins is also a _huge_ fan of Jane Austen," Jane said as she eyed Emma.

Emma's eyes widened. Her whole body froze on the spot while her mind raced with every possible direction this conversation could be heading. "And?"

"Well…" Henry trailed off, reaching into his suede blazer and producing one plane ticket and one rather large pamphlet that read exactly what Emma had hoped. "Guess who's going on an all-expense paid trip to Austeland."

For the next 30 seconds, every single person in the room had been rendered deaf by the loudest scream that had ever come out of Emma's mouth.

Cath wished she had been prepared especially for that moment, because even if she already had her hands firmly pressed against her ears, she could still hear the high-pitched shriek of her over-reactive sister.

"Oh, my god! Thank you, thank you, _thank you_!" Emma cried over and over. She ran over to Jane and Henry and tackled them into the most claustrophobic group hug Cath had ever seen. Just as he managed to catch his breath from the tea-choking earlier, Henry was visibly gasping for air once more when Emma jumped on top of him and engulfed him in a hug. Even Jane regretted the build up to the surprise, and she had to admit, Emma's hugs were in fact much more uncomfortable than the corsets she wore in Austenland.

"Okay, Emma, I think we need a breather," Jane gasped as she tapped Emma's arm furiously.

"Oh, sorry!" Emma withdrew from the two and returned to her armchair not looking sorry at all.

"I hope you take this moment as a warning never to surprise Emma with anything," Cath finally piped up. Emma gave her a shove, but laughed sheepishly anyway after realizing she did go over the top with her gratitude.

"And _we_ hope you don't scream until our ears bleed when we give you this."

Henry reached into his pocket again, and Cath could only hope he wasn't going to flash another plane ticket and pamphlet at her. As much as she would appreciate the gesture, she wasn't particularly excited about the idea of going to Austenland. Yes, it did look exciting—Cath had a thing for girly, pastel-colored things—but she wouldn't actually subject herself to the lunacy of which Austenland is all about. And she still wasn't a fan of Jane Austen's books. She would feel like a poser wearing all those dresses and pretending like she was in the Regency era.

Unfortunately, luck was never really on Cath's side, and there right in front of her was an identical plane ticket and ridiculously large pamphlet. She absolutely did not want to take it, but the excitement on Jane and Henry's faces brought out the ever-present guilt in her.

"Yay, you're coming with me!" Emma gushed, plopping herself on Cath's laugh and putting her arms around her.

"No, guys, I can't…I can't take this," Cath said, returning the ticket and pamphlet back to Henry. Instead of taking it though, Henry just stared down at Cath's outstretched hand and glanced over to Jane just to see if they were sharing the same look.

"Cath, c'mon. This'll be good for you," Jane insisted.

"Yeah, Cath. You need to leave this apartment," Emma added.

"Hey, I leave the apartment," Cath said defensively. Sure, she only left when she had to, but it's not like she's going to miss out on anything.

"The only times you leave the apartment are when you go to school, when you go to work and when it's your turn to do the grocery shopping. When you live in New York City, that hardly counts as leaving the apartment," Emma countered.

"Fine, I don't leave the apartment," Cath admitted, rather proudly, "but it doesn't really matter to me, okay? I get to sit here and read and write and eat and watch TV. There's literally nothing more I could ask for. And I don't want to be a waste of money. I'm probably not going to enjoy Austenland."

"You were there when the amusement park opened, and if I'm not mistaken, you were clearly amused that day," Jane said matter-of-factly.

"But we were in the amusement park! Not the resort!" Cath corrected in frustration. "Alright, the amusement park was fun, but the resort is…is—"

"Going to be amazing," Jane finished softly.

"Catherine, we promise you, you'll have an amazing time in Austenland, even if you're not an Austen fan," Henry assured her with painfully amazing doe-eyes. Cath wondered if Henry even knew his eyes could bring the whole female population down on their knees, but even if he did, he'd probably never admit it to anyone but himself.

"Hold on a second here," Cath said, pushing Emma off her lap and standing up. "Aren't you the same person who thought this whole thing was, shall I quote your words exactly, 'somewhat grotesque'? If you thought this whole Austen experience thing was total bullshit, why should I listen to you?"

Henry stared back at her, eyes wide and mouth open. His doe-eyes were now a dear in headlights, an expression Cath thought she'd never see in her life. She was slightly proud of herself, rendering the sharp, well-spoken history teacher's lips into a quivering mess. A minute had already passed and nothing had come out of his mouth. Cath was ready to crown herself as victor of this argument, until the corners of his mouth turned up and he reached for his fiancé's hand.

_God damn it_, Cath thought.

"Take it from me, Catherine. The greatest of things come from the most unlikely places," Henry spoke softly, turning his gaze to the beautiful girl beside her and planting a sweet kiss on the back of her hand. Jane blushed uncontrollably, and was now the speechless one.

While Emma awed behind her, Cath wasn't buying any of it, even if she usually would.

"Good for you, finding yourself a wife," Cath said dryly. She didn't mean for it to come out bitter and unimpressed, but she was glad they hadn't taken it in the wrong way. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you found each other at that torture chamber, but don't dangle your love in front of me. It's not going to get me on a plane to London."

"Cath, c'mon!" Emma whined. She started shaking Cath's arm impatiently, but Cath was determined. Oh, yeah, she was going to stand her ground and not let anyone push her around.

"Emma, I'm sorry, okay? I'm just going to ruin the trip for you with my whining and complaining and constant sarcastic remarks. You're better off without me."

"Do you think that matters to me, Cath? I'd rather hear your stupid, smartass comments than hear nothing at all. And this could be an adventure for us! We're going to drink that disgusting tea that you love, eat biscuits, ride horses, fine love—"

"Whoa, whoa, I'm going to stop you right there," Cath growled. Her sister's speech had already started softening her up enough to actually agree, until the last part. "I'm done with love and romance, Emma. What makes you think I'm going to a place that obviously celebrate these two things?"

"Oh, Cath," Emma sighed, pulling her little sister onto her lap and holding her close. "Cath, I know you love him, but it's been two years already. You have to let him go."

"I just—" Cath swallowed down a sob that was threatening to leave her throat. It had been a while since anyone talked about him, and even if she had finally convinced herself it was okay to bring him up, she still had to struggle with holding back tears. "I can't yet. I'm sorry."

"Aww, Cath, honey," Jane cooed as she got up from her seat and came to her with open arms. Henry stood up as well and was a ready to most likely offer a shoulder to cry on, but Cath had already started to feel the walls close in before they could reach her.

"Jesus, don't smother me. I can't breathe," Cath jeered as she swatted their bodies away. She got off Emma's lap and moved to a side of the room where there were less bodies and more air. "Please don't give me a pep talk on this. I'm really trying my best to get over it, but you just have to give me some time."

"Okay, we won't give the pep talk, but at least take this into consideration. You don't have to go there to find love. We just want you get out and take a breath of much fresher air," Henry spoke for all three of them. "And besides, after what happened to us at Austenland, I don't want either of you…_cavorting_ with any of the actors."

"Especially if the actor is part of the help," Jane added for a touch of humor. Henry turned to her with a slight scowl on his face, but Jane just raised her eyebrows innocently and shrugged.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll behave," Emma nodded animatedly at Henry, but then turned to Cath to shake her head and mouth 'no way!' Cath laughed and shook her head at her sister's antics.

"See!" Henry exclaimed, pointing at Emma. "This is exactly why you need to go. If you don't want to go for yourself, then at least go for your sister. So at least someone will stop her from doing something inane and humiliating."

"Thank you, Mr. Nobley. You really know how to woo the ladies," Emma said flatly.

Henry was right though. If Emma went there alone, no one would ever stop her from doing something completely idiotic, like offending the people with her terrible British impressions or bringing home not one, but all the English actors she thought was dreamy. Emma may be two years older than her, but they both knew Cath was the smarter one. Cath was the more rational, practical sister. She rarely got into trouble, and in certain circumstances where she does get into trouble, she could get herself out with as much finesse as any lady would.

Just the image of her sister walking through their door with one, two, five, _nine_ Englishmen was enough for to throw her head back in defeat and groan.

"When does the flight leave?"

"Yay!" Emma clapped excitedly while Jane and Henry smiled broadly in relief.

"Tomorrow morning."

"Oh my God, I better start packing!" And in a blink of an, Emma was gone.

Feeling the exhaustion on her shoulders, Cath collapsed on the couch and put one arm over her eyes. "I can't believe you talked me into going."

"Look, Cath, if this really stresses you out, why don't Henry and I come with you guys?" Jane offered hopefully. If Cath didn't know any better, she'd overlook her cousin's generous offer for help and think this didn't have anything to do with the fact that Jane obviously wanted to return to the place where she found her Prince Charming. But Cath did know better, and all it took was the sound of Jane's hopeful voice.

"Yes, Jane and I will—uh, excuse me?" Henry asked, his voice cracking a pitch higher.

"We'll go to Austenland with them."

"Honey," Henry laughed nervously. "I don't think we have the money to go back to Austenland."

"So what? Lizzy offered to accommodate us anyway, but I told her no because I knew you didn't want to go back there."

Cath literally gasped at this newfound information. "You _hypocrite_! I can't believe you're sending me off to a place you don't even like after that little speech you made and—"

"Fine! Fine! I'll go!" Henry said in defeat. He never really had a choice when it came to the Hayes girls. "Just as long as you won't change your mind."

Cath smiled satisfactorily and pushed herself off the couch. "I will mail my papers and pack then."

Henry scowled at her, but that did nothing to falter the smirk on Cath's face. If she was going to suffer in Austenland, she'll need him to suffer with her.

Before she disappeared into the kitchen, she lingered in front of Henry and looked at him smugly. "Remember, this is your fiancé's favorite place, so you'll probably have to keep going back there for anniversaries."

"Hmm," Henry moaned. "Delightful."

Happy with her work, Cath patted him on the shoulder and skipped merrily to the kitchen while humming to the tune of _Hot In Here_.

* * *

**If you're reading this, you obviously finished the first chapter so yay thank you! To any readers out there, I'm curious to know what you guys think! **

**I hope you enjoyed this little sneak peak for what's to hopefully come! :-)**


	2. Orlando Bloom? Where!

**Hello lovely Austenland fans! I come bearing another chapter! Sorry it took me this long to get it up, I got too busy with so many school-related things. Don't worry though. I got the whole story mapped out so the only thing I have to worry about is finding the time to write. Anyway, thank you to all the readers to favorited, followed and reviewed the story! I honestly wasn't expecting it, considering the number of Austenland fics on this site! Thank you, thank you, thank you so much! Even though it's not a lot, you guys were honestly my motivation to continue, so I hope I won't disappoint with this one. To TheMagentaColor, seasidewriter1, Dan-Four-Lover, x-La vie en rose-x and guest, thank you for your kind reviews! Anyway, I won't keep you waiting. Here's the next chapter, enjoy :-)**

* * *

"I still can't believe you guys talked me into this," Cath repeated, and she kept repeating it until Emma had finally had enough of her incessant ranting and looked up from her large Austenland pamphlet.

"Then don't," Emma snapped. "But you could at least shut up about it. You're ruining my good vibes."

Cath scowled at her sister and turned to look at the view outside her window. Clouds slowly rolled by, revealing the seemingly endless strip of blue beneath them. There wasn't much to look at really; it was just all cloud and sea. For Cath, however, that was enough to distract her mind from their impending destination. She only flicked through her pamphlet once, before they boarded the plane, and she had no intention of going through it again. She had decided she wasn't going to join any of the planned activities at all. She was just going to stand at the back to observe (well, ignore everyone, really). She could tolerate the stupid corsets and multiple dress changes during the day, but actually going horseback riding or playing coquet was out of the question.

"When do you think Jane and Henry will arrive?" Emma asked, slightly bouncing in her seat.

"They're supposed to arrive an hour after us, but I don't know," Cath said with an unsure look on her face. "I already have this feeling Henry won't fasten his seatbelt so the plane won't take off."

Emma threw her head back and let out a hearty laugh. "And then when they do take off, he'll just keep bugging the stewardess and ask how soon the plane will land."

"_Oh_, not without puking a little bit of his breakfast."

Cath and Emma just burst out laughing as a clear image of Henry hunching over a paper bag and retching his guts out formed in their minds. How Jane got Henry to ride another plane, they'll never figure out, but they were just excited Henry was coming along with them. If there's one thing Cath is looking forward to, it's seeing Mr. Nobley in his natural habitat.

Getting dirty looks from the other passengers, Cath and Emma both cleared their throats to stop them from laughing and tried to act civil again.

"I really hope you'd still be this fun at Austenland," Emma sighed, turning to her sister with a wishful look.

Cath's face fell slightly. What her sister wanted was very simple, a wish she could grant, but not easily. When Cath truly despised something, she wore her heart on her sleeve, and she wasn't afraid to do it. She had made countless enemies in high school for her bluntness, but that still didn't stop her from grimacing or making disapproving noises.

But seeing the childlike wonder and excitement in her sister's eyes, she had no choice but to at least put in a little effort to act like a pleasant young lady.

"I'll try my best," Cath assured Emma, and it took a lot in her to make sure she sounded genuine.

"Thanks," Emma smiled, engulfing her sister in a hug and going back to her pamphlet. "I still don't understand why you hate this place. You're the history enthusiast between the two of us. I would've thought you'd love this place more than me."

"I love reading about the era, but that doesn't mean I want to experience it," Cath explained coolly. "You have no idea how boring women's lives were during that time."

"Are you kidding? I would give anything to travel back in time and live in a much simpler time."

"That's because you aren't fit enough to survive our current era."

"Whatever. At least women were better respected by men during the Regency era. They practically worshipped us."

Cath snorted at this. "Yes, they worshipped us so much that we ended up stuck indoors sewing, cleaning, cooking, reading and whatever other boring activity there was. I think I'll pass on that."

"I thought you said you'd stop being cynical."

"I said I'd try."

"Fine. But the moment I see you blush because a very handsome gentleman kissed your hand, I'm going to yell I told you so."

Cath scoffed at this and leaned her head on the window. Emma could bully her into romance all she wants, but Cath was certain no one in this resort could ever make her heart flutter.

* * *

They had been waiting for at least an hour and a half.

As they set foot in the airport at London, Cath and Emma first visited the bookstore in Jane had told them about. They scanned every aisle and every shelf, both of them picking up at least one or two books. Okay, well Cath picked up four, but you never hesitate on sales. Emma couldn't help but let her big sister side poke through and scold Cath for using too much of her money (just like she always did at bookstores). Cath, on the other hand, pressed two of her books against her ears to drown out her sister's annoying, high-pitched voice as they headed to the food court for some lunch.

Pushing through the hustle and bustle of the airport, Cath and Emma just marveled at the sound of different accents blending together to produce a melody that made them both smile like 8-year-olds. Hearing Henry's English lilt was already a big deal for them. Now that they were at heart of all things English, they had to resist bringing out their 'theatrics' and offending everyone within the vicinity.

Once at the food court, Cath and (mostly) Emma tried not to inhale every single stall they passed in search of the most appetizing lunch. There were mostly international-known fast food restaurants, but after stupidly skipping breakfast so they wouldn't miss their flight, anything was good enough for them as long as they got to fill their stomachs. With so many choices right in front of them, they had ended up giving into their McDonald's temptation and ordered the biggest burger they could handle. Once they were seated, Cath had thrown all her cares out the window and just devoured her Quarter Pounder with as much grace as a sloth. Emma was tempted to do the same, but with the presence of cute, preppy English boys sitting a few tables away from them, she tried her best to eat a Big Mac as ladylike as possible.

Halfway through her burger, Cath looked up at her sister to see the same satisfied expression she probably had, but instead, she saw a shy, smitten girl taking small bites and grinning subtly. She furrowed her eyebrows and took a huge gulp of her Coke as she tried to understand what was happening with Emma, but her chest jerk and involuntarily, she let out a loud burp. Cath and Emma blushed as everyone turned to their table with surprised (and maybe a few dirty) looks, including the table full of English boys.

"God, Catherine. Embarrass us more, why don't you?" Emma hissed quietly as she took a tiny bite of her burger and kept glancing to her left. Cath followed the direction of her gaze, and seeing the table fully of guys constantly looking at them, she smirked and rolled her eyes at her boy-crazy sister.

"Sorry," Cath smiled smugly. "I'm just a starved American trying to eat."

"Yeah, and talk and moan and sound like a complete imbecile."

"Emma, please. Don't tell me you actually care about what those English twats think about you."

Emma blushed. Wildly. "Absolutely not. I just don't want you to embarrass yourself."

"I've already embarrassed myself by getting on a plane to London, England _just_ to visit Austenland. Of all the beautiful, wonderful places we could've gone to. I'm pretty maxed out on the whole embarrassment thing."

Emma rolled her eyes at Cath and stole a quick glance at the English boys smirking at them. Cath kept her eyes trained at her sister, narrowing them into tiny, unimpressed slits, and then followed her gaze once more just to scowl at the boys. Since they kept looking their way, Cath expected them to either snort at her or take this as a sign to leave them alone. What she didn't expect, however, was one of them to smile shyly at her, and then _wink_. Wink! One of them winked at her! She couldn't believe one of them was _flirting_ with her! Yeah, he was kind of cute, if Cath was into preppy, rich boys, but clearly she wasn't.

Cath didn't know her face could contort into something even much worse than a scowl. It was like someone let out the worst smelling fart in the world in the food court, and somehow, Cath had wished that was the case instead of a guy flirting with her. She had forgotten what it felt like to be hit on, considering she never left their apartment. Now that it was actually happening, she hated that feeling even more. She hated it so much she wished all her clothes just said, "DON'T FLIRT WITH ME."

With a much fiercer scowl, Cath hoped he'd stop looking at her. She knew she had no control over that, but she hated the feeling of someone taking interest in her. When his face fell, she thought she had won this battle, but seeing his eyes staring at something right behind her, she slowly turned her head to see Henry, who had a murderous look on his face. Jane was right beside him looking rather amused, and laced her arm through his to remind him to compose himself.

"Alright, Rocky. I think this airport has seen enough of your rolling around on the ground," Jane quipped as she tried to calm Henry down.

"You promised not to bring that up," Henry said flatly. He gave the group of boys one last lingering glare before he sat down beside Emma and glared at her this time.

Emma's head jerked back a little, surprised she was getting this end of the argument. "What? I didn't do anything."

"Oh, please, Emma. I could see you batting your eyes at every boy on that table. This is exactly why you shouldn't be left alone here in London."

"Awww, you took a plane just to protect me," Emma gushed and put her arms around him.

"No, I took a plane to protect the men of England from you," Henry corrected her, but she was having none of his sass.

"Jane, I swear, you have a keeper over here," Emma said, and all three of them just tried to figure out of she was being sarcastic or not.

"Tell me about it," Jane laughed as she eased into the chair beside Cath. "So, how was your flight?"

"Meh, nothing eventful. How about yours?" Cath answered, already anticipating Henry's new embarrassing story.

"Actually," Jane grinned widely, "it went rather well."

Emma snorted. "And by well, you mean Henry only used up one paper bag this time?"

"He didn't use any."

Emma and Cath gasped loudly, causing Henry to cover both of their mouths with his hands. If there was one word Henry could use to describe Cath and Emma, it was definitely campy. Both them just reminded him of a leading lady's sidekick best friend in romantic comedies, and it was moments like these when they provided him the proof. Of course, he'd want to see them as leading ladies, but maybe when they stop (un)intentionally exaggerating their movements like gasping.

"I slept all throughout the flight now stop drawing attention to yourselves," Henry whispered-screamed as removed his hands off their mouths.

"You slept?" Cath asked skeptically. "You? Mr. I-Always-Have-A-Stick-Up-My-Ass was able to relax and sleep from New York to London?"

"Of course not," Jane interjected. "I slipped a sleeping pill in his water."

Henry's eyes went wide as he turned to his fiancé with a horrified look. "You _snuck_ sleeping pills in my water? Is that why it tasted funny?"

"Man, Henry. Don't keep drinking things if they taste funny," Emma said matter-of-factly as she shook her head.

"I can't believe you snuck a _sleeping pill_ in my drink," Henry said incredulously, the veins on his neck already showing. "I could've been allergic to that pill, you know!"

"I know. That's why I hoped to God you'd wake up when we landed earlier," Jane admitted, her face contorting into something that resembled guilt and amusement at the same time.

"Jesus Christ, remind me never to get on your bad side," Emma butted in, turning to Jane with a grimace before taking the last bite of her burger.

"You could've killed me." Henry was still in shock and already staring into a far off distance, probably contemplating what the afterlife must feel like.

Cath just sat there, staring at her companions with combined looks of terror and mortification. Her cousin may be a potential threat to her own fiancé, her sister is annoying so desperate for love and her future cousin-in-law is—well, he's actually just the strapping, fine gentleman that bagged the toned down version of the Kardashians. She honestly couldn't fathom how weird her family was, her included, but there was just no denying it. Sometimes, she found it endearing and heartwarming, but in situations like these, she just hoped no one was listening to their conversation.

While Jane tried to coax Henry out of his somewhat near death experience with numerous apologies and kisses and Emma tried to inconspicuously catch one more look at the Brits a few tables away, Cath took one last sip of her Coke and stood up to announce their departure from the food court.

"I know all of you have a lot going on right now, but I think it's time for us to wait for the car," Cath announced, slinging her carry-on on her shoulder and pointed to the direction of the exit like an usherette.

"Oh, goodie! I almost forgot why we came here in the first place!" Emma said enthusiastically as she grabbed her carry-on and dragged Cath towards the designated meeting place. "God, Henry, Jane, hurry up!"

"We'll, uh," Jane stumbled, carefully guiding Henry off his seat, "we'll catch up."

Cath prayed for her life as Emma navigated them through the throngs of people going about their own business. Emma never slowed down once, instead just hollering out a bunch of apologies to people they've shoved or stepped on. Cath was grateful she didn't have the time to see the dirty looks the people were giving them. She just hoped they'd get out of there faster than Jane can recite the first three chapters of Pride and Prejudice just for fun.

"Finally, the damn exit," Emma said, pulling Cath forward and pushing her out the automatic glass doors.

"Stop manhandling meee," Cath whined. Emma still pushed her forward anyway until they reached a short red carpet surrounded by golden ropes with a huge Austenland poster at the end. Once Cath came face-to-face with it, it just seemed like the girl in the poster stared back at her almost mockingly. She was holding hands with a guy in stiff-collared jacket and breeches, and Cath was pretty positive Emma would freak out like a little girl when she finally sees this outfit on a handsome Englishman in the flesh.

"I can't believe it's finally happening!" Emma gushed as she jumped up and down. "You have no—"

"Idea how long you've been waiting to for this moment?" Cath finished for her. "I kinda do."

"God, Catherine, stop being so pessimistic and at least enjoy the foreign air."

Emma inhaled so deeply Cath was sure all her boogers would've found their way down her throat if she had any. Her sister was right though. Cath had always wanted to visit London, see all the great historical landmarks and write in a little obscure café that sold the best tea she'd ever tasted. But no, she was now waiting for a shuttle to take her to the most moronic resort anyone could think of.

"_Alright_," Jane smiled as she and Henry approached. "Who's ready for Austenland?"

Emma clapped her hands and chanted 'me' over and over while Henry and Cath just groaned. Cath couldn't reiterate enough how this was the worst way to spend your first and probably only trip to London. Even the look on Henry's face said so.

"Henry, you promised to pretend to be excited," Jane pouted as she laced her arm through his and intertwined their fingers together.

"Yeah, well, that was before you drugged me, so I think I get to act miserable on the first day," Henry countered back with his own pout.

Jane scrunched her nose and stared back at Henry, still hoping she'd change his mind, but he was as determined as she was. He tried to match whatever look she had on, and with some silent, doe-eyed prodding, she eventually sighed and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Fine," she said, giving him a quick peck and a smile.

Just before Cath could even make a disgusted sound at the sight of PDA, a bunch of guitar notes started playing in a distance, and based on her previous visit, she knew exactly what this song was. _Unfortunately_.

"_Would you live in a different world with a different meaning of boy meets girl_…"

Cath drowned out Emma's cheering and focused on the hideous pink van that rolled right in front of them. On the side facing them, the word 'Austenland' was painted right across it, and Cath was sure the same thing could be seen on the other side. There were speakers installed right on top of it, obnoxiously blaring out the sickeningly sweet tune of Austenland's theme song.

"Where the hell is that old, black car you rode in?" Cath tried to mutter. She was definitely certain the cringe on her face would never leave until the end of the week.

"C'mon. It's not that bad," Henry tried, but even he failed to convince himself. This was absolutely, positively the worst looking monstrosity on four wheels.

"_What? Who, me? I know, I feel that way too…"_

"Could they at least turn the song off?" Cath said, looking around to see if anyone was looking at them. She hoped only a few would think this was all weird, but nope, every single person just had to steal a glance at them before they went their own ways. Fantastic.

Emma, annoyed by Cath's negativity, slapped a hand over her younger sister's mouth and led her to the van. "Shh, don't ruin the moment for me."

Cath rolled her eyes and just followed Emma. As they approached the still singing pink van, Cath's heart certainly leapt when she made eye contact with the driver, because he did not look like a driver _at all_. It's not everyday you see a driver that looked exactly like Orlando Bloom, and Cath was definitely not going to deny the fact that she did find him handsome. _Extremely handsome_, to be exact. Especially when he side-smirked at her. If Cath's heart had leapt before, it was definitely doing somersaults now.

"Good afternoon, ladies," the driver smiled, revealing his painfully perfect pearly whites. "I'm—"

"Going to help these girls in? Oh, don't worry, that won't be necessary," Henry interjected, slightly shoving Emma and Cath in as he stared the driver down. "I'll do it."

"Henry," Jane scolded lowly.

"You're such a party pooper. He's just doing his job. I'm Emma, by the way," Emma grinned, sending the driver a wink before sliding into the front row.

Cath was too busy trying to calm her heart down to even comment about Emma's introduction. Was she really that smitten? Especially after showing strong disinterest in one of the English boys earlier? But then again, preppy, rich kid didn't look like Orland Bloom, or had perfect, white teeth. It was going to take more than a smile and wink to make her panties drop, and Orlando Bloom look alike may have what it takes to do just that.

"A-and I'm Cath," she said shyly, grinning for one quick second before she let her hair fall in front of her face as she got in.

"Nice to meet you, Cath," Orlando smiled back, and the fact that he didn't even mean to be flirty at all pretty much had Cath melting into a puddle in her seat.

Cath returned the smile again, but this time Henry was there to clear his throat and break up their friendly (and totally innocent) exchange. It was his turn to give the driver a curt smile, and Orlando took that as a signal to get back into the driver's seat and wait for them to get settled in.

"God, Henry," Jane grunted as she climbed in and sat in the second row. Henry climbed in after her and let out an irritated sigh. "Don't be too harsh on the guy."

"I wouldn't have had to if Ms. I'm-Too-Good-For-Love wasn't flirting with him," Henry countered, earning him a dirty look from Cath.

"I'll have you know there are so many things wrong with that sentence," Cath said.

"Oh, please do enumerate them." Henry turned to her expectantly as he pushed the door closed and plopped down beside Jane.

"Gladly. First of all, I never said I was too good for love. Ever. Second, we were not flirting. I just introduced myself to the guy."

Without warning, the van rolled out of the waiting area and drove carefully through the sea of taxis and private vehicles. Henry and Cath got distracted for a moment, both looking out the window before going back to staring each other down.

"To be honest, I don't even know why you're pulling that protective father crap on me. It's not like I winked at him." Cath's head immediately turned to Emma, who was apparently enjoying the heated conversation going on between them.

"Cath, I'm sure you understand by now that nothing he'll say or do will keep her away from guys," Jane said matter-of-factly, with Emma nodding her head to back her statement up.

"Unfortunately, that is true," Henry agreed reluctantly, "but you, Catherine? Breaking your ludicrous vow all because of an Orlando Bloom twin? I thought you were stronger than that."

"Oh my God, I can't wait to watch you fall in love with the rest of the servants," Emma gushed in all seriousness.

"Hey, just because I've sworn off love, doesn't mean I can't admire and appreciate the beautiful men around me," Cath protested. "And no, there is _no way_ I'm going to fall in love with anyone. I'm way in too deep with my vow. I doubt anyone would be worthy enough to break it anyway."

"That's kind of a mean thing to say with Orlando in the car," Jane scolded jokingly, tilting her head to the direction of their driver.

Realizing they focused their attention on him, Orlando chuckled awkwardly and glanced at his rearview mirror. "It's okay. I wasn't really looking for love either. And it's Max, by the way."

"Max…" Emma said, the name just rolling off her tongue. "Interesting. Does Max have a number—"

"Emma, honestly, are you going to flirt with every single guy in this country?" Henry wailed as he threw his head back in frustration and exhaustion.

"Only the hot ones," Emma shrugged.

"Fantastic," Henry muttered sarcastically before sighing in resignation and keeping his eyes closed to probably take a nap.

"I wouldn't really worry about him. He just likes pretending to be a dad," Jane whispered, but her body jerked all of a sudden and she turned to Henry with a scowl. "I hate it when you tickle me."

"I hate it when you downplay my concern for women," Henry said, his eyes still closed but a smirk slowly forming on his lips.

"Ah, yes. Your noble duty of protecting every single female from harm like Superman. Such a turn on," Jane joked as she cuddled up to her fiancé and moaned.

Even after a relaxing flight, it was clear these two were in need of a nap. Instead of putting in their two cents, Cath and Emma both smiled knowingly at each other faced forward to give them their private little naptime. They sat in silence for the next hour of the trip, just looking out the windows and gazing at the amazing sights before them. Cath was especially careful to watch out for the little, obscure café she imagined herself writing in and promised herself that one day, she _will_ come back, with a tattered up notebook and her MacBook in hand.

Once they were out of the city and saw nothing but lots of trees and fields, both of them leaned back and let themselves get a few minutes to sleep, too. Just to recharge the body so they'd have enough energy to keep up with the actors later. Like she always did, Emma leaned her head on Cath's shoulder and snuggled up to it, but this time, before doing just that, she grinned and leaned into Cath's ear.

"You know, he hasn't stopped looking at you through his mirror since we got here," Emma said. Cath attempted to turn her head to sneer at her sister, but she had already lain down on her shoulder and closed her eyes.

It annoyed Cath how up until now, they still didn't respect the vow she made for herself. It's not like it's permanent or anything. She had tried countless times to have normal relationships with guys, but none of them would ever make it past the second or third date. Some of them never even passed the first one. She just figured she needed more time to heal, to find herself again before this whole thing happened. If she'd ever meet the guy that would teach her how to fall in love again, she wanted to make sure she didn't feel damaged or hesitant about where their relationship is going. She wanted to make sure she was already the best version of herself, just so she couldn't find any reason to hold herself back anymore.

But that moment wasn't going to be today, or tomorrow, or two days from now. She wasn't ready to go back out there yet. Sure, she didn't mind checking guys out from time to time, but right now, she was just an ogler. She was just going to survey the existing pool of guys available to her until the time was right for her to dive back in again.

_You are not going to fall in love, you are not going to fall in love, you are not going to fall in love_, Cath repeated over and over in her mind as she stole a quick glance at the rearview mirror to see if Emma was lying. For a second, she made eye contact with Max, and when he looked away, Cath took this as proof her sister wasn't kidding. But she wasn't going to think about this. No. _You are not going to fall in love. _She kept repeating it like a mantra with as much self-assurance as any cocky bastard, only because she _knew_—she was _certain_, that falling in love was out of the cards for her.

* * *

**Ta da! I hope you made it 'til the end. So what did you guys think? Sorry it's kind of a filler, but I guess I kinda got to establish where Cath is with relationships. So yes, she's not looking for love, but she's not completely opposed to staring at hot men like every other woman haha. So the next chapter will finally be in Austenland yay! You'll get to meet the new resident Mr. Darcy hehe. Hope to see you guys at the next chapter! Thanks for reading!**


End file.
